Hole saw guide

ABSTRACT

A general purpose hole saw guide and a method of forming holes through surfaces, without the need of a centering bit, are provided. The hole saw guide includes a circular disk with concentric grooves on its surface. The disk is transparent and portable for placement on a surface through which a hole is to be drilled to facilitate the centering and stabilizing control of a hole saw on the surface. The method includes the steps of providing a transparent disk having concentric grooves; positioning the disk on a surface; mounting the disk to the surface; inserting a hole saw that is fitted to a drill into the grooves of the disk; drilling a hole through the disk and surface beneath it; and removing the disk from the surface after the hole has been drilled.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application relates to and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/460,529, filed Feb. 17, 2017 and entitled “HOLE SAW GUIDE,” the entire disclosure of which is hereby wholly incorporated by reference.

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to general construction tools. In particular, the present invention relates to a hole saw guide for facilitating the drilling of a circular opening through surfaces where prior holes may or may not exist and where a pilot bit (also known as a centering bit) may or may not be used.

A hole saw is commonly used to cut large holes through surfaces. Complete hole saw assemblies are typically comprised of a hole saw blade, which is a cylinder with cutting blades or abrasive material on an open side of the cylinder, the blades or abrasive material of which are parallel to the surface of the cylinder on one end and a hole on its other end through with an arbor is secured. The arbor secured to the hole saw blade typically retains a long pilot drill bit on the one end and on the other end possesses a shaft that fits into a drill. The protruding pilot bit of the complete hole saw assembly, being centered within the diameter of the hole saw and opposite the drill, is placed on a surface, perpendicular to the surface, at the center of the location where a hole is desired. Upon activation of the drill to which the hole saw assembly is attached, the turning pilot bit of the hole saw assembly pierces the surface and, as it progresses into the surface, allows the turning hole saw trailing behind it to draw closer to the surface.

The hole saw blade, having made contact with the surface, begins to cut a circular hole in the surface around its diameter, stabilized in its rotation by the pilot bit that serves as the axis of the hole saw assembly, and cut surface material is accumulated within the hole saw blade space between its walls and the pilot bit. When the hole saw has cut the hole through the surface and through to the other side of the surface, the material contained within the hole saw assembly is rendered wholly separate from the substrate, and the drill and attached hole saw assembly are backed-out of the hole in the substrate.

The existing hole saw assembly presents significant shortcomings in common situations, however. First, if a hole already exists in the substrate at the desired location of a larger hole, then there is no surface on which to position the pilot bit of the hole saw assembly. As such, absent the pilot bit providing an axis around which the hole saw rotates, it is practically impossible to position the hole saw at the desired location or contain the hole saw at its desired position when the hole saw is rotating. Furthermore, absent a pilot bit providing an axis for the hole saw, it is not possible to pierce the surface of the substrate to stabilize the hole saw at the desired location and from kickback or sliding of the hole saw blade. Such misalignment or kickback may result in a damaged surface and misshapen hole. At worst, an entire surface may be destroyed and the operator of the drill fitted with the hole saw may be injured. In addition to problems arising from a lack of pilot bit, it is oftentimes impossible for an existing pilot bit to drill into a substrate if the pilot bit is not constructed with a shape and materials composition that is able to penetrate the substrate material.

In the past, some have attempted to solve some of the inaccuracy problems in hole saw drilling through the use of templates that allows the drilling of pilot holes in a surface. Such templates are not generally disposed to a plurality of applications or hole saw dimensions. Such a template is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,776. While the devices disclosed therein may provide a limited solution for hole saw drilling, the tool is insufficient for general hole saw use.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to address one or more of the shortcomings discussed above, a hole saw guide is provided herein. In the present embodiment of the invention, a transparent disk with concentric grooves on its surface is provided. The disk is configured for positioning on a surface to facilitate the forming of an opening in the surface.

In the present embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for forming an opening in a surface. The method comprises the steps of providing a surface; providing a hole saw guide comprising a transparent disk with concentric grooves; mounting the disk at a desired position on said surface for forming a hole; inserting a hole saw of desired diameter within said concentric groove, said groove corresponding to the desired diameter of opening; said hole saw guide mounted to a drill and forming said opening by said hole saw when drill is activated.

A hole saw guide may comprise a transparent disk, said disk having on its surface a series of concentric grooves, said disk being destructible, said disk being able to be mounted by a plurality of means to a flat surface.

A hole saw guide system may comprise a surface through which a circular opening is to be made; a transparent disk having concentric grooves on its surface, said grooves defining a plurality of possible hole areas, said grooves able to contain and stabilize hole saws of corresponding diameters; wherein said disk is destructible, said disk being able to be mounted by a plurality of means to surface; wherein said disk material may be removed from the surface after hole through said surface is drilled by said hole saw.

A method of forming a hole in a surface may comprise providing a surface through which a circular opening is to be made; providing a hole saw guide comprising a transparent disk, said disk having on its surface concentric grooves; determining a desired position on said surface for forming a circular opening of desired diameter; based on said desired position, wherein said hole saw guide is aligned with said desired position and actually mounted by one or another means to said surface; and hole saw guide is mounted to said surface so that said concentric groove of desired radius on the hole saw guide is aligned with said position where an opening through the surface is desired; and inserting a hole saw of desired diameter within said groove of corresponding diameter; with said hole saw mounted to a drill and forming said hole when placed in the hole saw guide and when drill is activated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The present embodiment of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the hole saw guide, showing the top portion thereof, in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top elevational view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom elevational view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view of the hole saw guide from the top toward the bottom;

FIG. 6 is a view of a reference marking at a desired hole location; and

FIG. 7 is a view from above with the hole saw guide positioned over the desired hole location, centered by aligning the reference marking with a corresponding groove on the hole saw guide;

FIG. 8 is a view from above, with a hole saw (without pilot bit) of desired diameter placed in a groove on the hole saw guide which corresponds to the desired hole position;

FIG. 9 is a view from above, with a drill attached to the hole saw of desired diameter placed in the groove on the hole saw guide which corresponds to the desired hole position; and

FIG. 10 is a close-up view from the side of the hole saw of desired diameter placed in the groove on the hole saw which corresponds to the desired hole position.

FIG. 11 is a view from the side, below the surface, of the drill attached to the hole saw passing through the surface, having passed through the hole saw guide.

FIG. 12 is a view from above of the surface with an opening of the desired diameter, after using the hole saw guide and related method.

FIG. 13 is a view of a typical drill and hole saw configuration (with exception of pilot bit).

FIG. 14 is a view from above of the hole saw guide centered over an existing opening, and where a larger diameter hole is desired.

FIG. 15 is a view from above of the drill attached to the hole saw of desired diameter placed in the groove on the hole saw guide which corresponds to the desired hole position, the desired hole diameter being larger than a pre-existing opening in the surface.

FIG. 16 is a view from above of the surface with the opening of desired diameter, after using the hole saw guide and related method.

FIG. 17 is a view from above, for purposes of reference, of the surface with the opening of larger desired diameter, after using the hole saw guide and related method, with surface material from a previously made hole of smaller diameter that constituted the pre-existing opening in the surface.

FIG. 18 is a view of a rendering of the hole saw guide to illustrate dimensions according to an embodiment of the hole saw guide. Actual production dimensions may vary slightly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG, having been constructed from solid SLA material through a Computer Numeric Control (CNC) process. The invention may likewise be made with injection molding process, additive processes (“3D printing”) or other methods that are common to the production of plastic goods. 

1. A hole saw guide comprising: a transparent disk, said disk having on its surface a series of concentric grooves, said disk being destructible, said disk being able to be mounted to a flat surface.
 2. The hole saw guide of claim 1, wherein said disk is constructed from solid stereolithography (SLA) material.
 3. The hole saw guide of claim 2, wherein said disk is constructed through a computer numeric control (CNC) process.
 4. The hole saw guide of claim 1, wherein said disk is made by an injection molding process.
 5. The hole saw guide of claim 1, wherein said disk is made by an additive process.
 6. The hole saw guide of claim 5, wherein said disk is made by 3D printing.
 7. The hole saw guide of claim 1, wherein said disk has a diameter of about 9 inches.
 8. The hole saw guide of claim 7, wherein said disk has a diameter of about 9.4 inches.
 9. The hole saw guide of claim 1, wherein said disk has a minimum thickness of about 0.02 inches and a maximum thickness of about 0.12 inches,
 10. The hole saw guide of claim 1, wherein said disk has a groove depth of about 0.1 inches.
 11. A hole saw guide system comprising: a surface through which a circular opening is to be made; a transparent disk having concentric grooves on its surface, said grooves defining a plurality of possible hole areas, said grooves able to contain and stabilize hole saws of corresponding diameters; wherein said disk is able to be mounted to said surface; wherein said disk is destructible, and disk material of said disk is removable from said surface after a hole through said surface is drilled by a hole saw.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein said surface includes a prior hole where the circular opening is to be made.
 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the prior hole inhibits the use of a pilot bit with said hole saw.
 14. The system of claim 11, further comprising said hole saw.
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